History: Laurence J.M. Clarke, Jr., 1859-1941, was born at Fort Rae, on Great Slave Lake, NWT, son of Laurence Clarke Sr., 1832-1890, and Jane Bell, ?-1869. (Their forename is spelled Lawrence on some documents.) His father was a Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) employee. Laurence, Jr., was educated at St. John's College in Winnipeg and graduated from the University of Toronto in 1882. After travelling in Europe and military service on the Nile Expedition in Egypt, he joined the law firm of Mayne-Blanchard in Winnipeg where he was later admitted to the Bar. He spent some time in Washington State, but moved to St. Albert in 1889. In 1893 he became Deputy Registrar of Land Titles in Calgary, Alberta, was appointed Clerk of the Supreme Court in Calgary in 1898, and retired in 1930. He remained unmarried.

Custodial History: These records were in the possession of Austin de B. Winter who, at one time, worked for Laurence Clarke, Jr. Austin de B Winter bequeathed the records to his son, Laurence Winter, donor.

Scope and Content: The fonds consists of correspondence, deeds, certificates, school reports and exams, income tax receipts, will, and photographs of family and friends. Includes some personal records of Laurence Clarke, Sr., including his letters of appointment to various HBC posts.

Related: Further Laurence Clarke, Sr. records are held by the Hudson's Bay Company Archives. Laurence Clarke Jr's account of his participation in the Nile Expedition is held by the University of Calgary Archives.